Variable reflecting elements are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,135 for instance describes an optical element comprising a pair of plates between which an optical modulation liquid layer is sandwiched, the optical modulation liquid layer exhibiting a light reflecting property caused by suspension of fine particle polymer when not heated and exhibiting transparency caused by dissolution of fine particle polymer when heated, the change of such light reflecting property to transparency being reversible.
Further, WO2007/007220 discloses an illumination device for illuminating an object comprising a light source to emit light, an adjustable optical element for adjusting the light originated from the light source into adjusted light, and a controller for controlling at least one element of a group of elements comprising the adjustable optical element and the light source in response to an adjusting control signal via at least one driving signal. The adjustable optical element comprises at least one element of the following group of optical elements comprising a liquid crystalline lens, a controllable scattering element, a controllable diffraction, a refraction element and a reflection element.
Further, WO2007007235 discloses a light module with a light source for emitting a beam of light, an adjustable optical element for adjusting the beam of light from the light source into an adjusted beam of light with a scattering pattern that is electrically variable, and a controller for controlling, in response to an adjusting control signal, at least one element of a group of elements comprising the adjustable optical element and the light source by means of at least one driving signal. A multi-purpose light, for example for interior car lighting, is advantageously provided thereby.